Vladimir Putin’s military chiefs have placed air defences on elevated towers around Moscow to better defend against drone attacks, British defence chiefs said on Tuesday.
They are also being positioned on ramps as part of the plans to better detect and shoot down the unmanned aircraft, they added.
They also believe that the changes to air defences around Russia’s capital aims to reassure people that the authorities have the “threat under control”.
In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence in London said: “In recent weeks, Russia has recalibrated the posture of its short and medium-range air defences around Moscow in an effort to more effectively defend against the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks the city now experiences most days.
“Since early September 2023, Russian SA-22 air defence systems around the capital have been pictured positioned on elevated towers and ramps.”
The briefing added: “Previously, following strikes against Engels and Ryazan air bases in December 2022, Russia also positioned SA-22 on the roofs of official buildings in Moscow.
“This is almost certainly to allow the system to detect and engage UAV-type targets. However, it is probably also intended to act as a high-profile reassurance to the public that the authorities have the threat under control.”
Moscow, including the Kremlin, have been targeted with a wave of drone attacks, believed to have been carried out by Ukraine’s military, though it has not taken responsibility for them.
Putin’s military chiefs have used drones, including many made in Iran, to unleash sustained attacks on towns, cities and villages in Ukraine in the war which he launched in February 2022.
Kyiv carried out a drone strike on the city of Enerhodar near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Monday, Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, claimed on Tuesday, according to a report by Russia’s RIA news agency.
Likhachev said six drones were launched at the city, and all were destroyed.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
